2008
Grant Awards
Educational Foundation Awards Nearly $51,000 in
Teacher Grants
The Educational Foundation, as
well as the businesses and individuals who support it, believes
that innovative and creative approaches to teaching can benefit
our students. To this end, the Foundation developed the
Grants-To-Teachers Program. This program, with its emphasis on
innovative projects and creative teaching approaches, provides
funding, not otherwise available, up to $3,000 for projects
which have a potential to enhance student learning. This year,
the Educational Foundation awarded nearly $51,000 in grants to
teachers.
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 Interactive Science
–Vivian Field Middle School- 6th grade
$3000
Valwood Improvement
Authority Teacher Grant
This program is designed to make studying Science more fun,
memorable and relevant to the students. It includes hands-on
activities to help with deep critical thinking and knowledge
retention. The Interactive Science package includes a number
of different lab kits such as stream erosion, rock cycles,
natural selection, exploring cells, antibiotic resistant
bacteria and Way Cool Game of Science: Life Science DVD Game
set.
Nina Wick, Todd Miller, Sara Roesler |
|
 Literacy
Experiences and the Emergent Reader and Writer Using
Wordless and Emergent Leveled Books – Freeman Elementary-Pre
Kindergarten
$2911
Plano Office Supply Grant
Pre-Kindergarten students will
be immersed with quality reading books through the use of
wordless picture books and developmentally appropriate
guided reading books. Wordless picture books allow children
to build upon their oral language through conversations by
allowing them to realize that pictures tell stories. This
allows access to over 700 books to better serve the
Pre-Kindergarten population with quality reading
experiences.
Tristie Cooper Loyd, Rebekah Brooks,
Carol McElwain, Amber Newbill, Aubrey Weers |
Mat, Music, Action!:
Keeping up with the Kinesthetic Learner – Carrollton
Elementary – K-5
$1000
Rotary Club of Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Shawn and Nafisa
Bhagat Teacher Grant
Mat, Music, Action
incorporates a multifaceted music manipulative to enable all
music students to read, write, create and perform standard
music notation. The Music Mat will channel students’ energy
as a springboard for reading music notation, singing
together and understanding the keyboard. As students
maneuver around the mat, they will be fully involved and
active in the learning process resulting in a meaningful
music experience for all learners.
Anna Adomo |
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 Uno, Dos, Tres….Podcast!
– McWhorter Elementary – Kindergarten and First Grade
$706.99
Nancy Strickland Teacher Grant
This project is to increase
kindergarten and first grade English Language Learners’
conceptual understanding of math language and problem
solving through engagement in collaborative library lessons.
The librarian and kindergarten/first grade teachers will
formally plan collaborative lessons that teach students how
to create their own math word problems and solutions.
Amy Kincaid |
History Alive – R. L.
Turner – 10th Grade
$2949.26
Carl “Catfish” & Kay Montgomery Teacher Grant
The History Alive Curriculum
gives a wide range of in-depth historical assignments,
simulations, primary sources and downright fun activities.
Students enjoy learning history and feel like they actually
get to experience and be a part of history. This project
encourages higher-level thinking, helping students to make
judgments and analyses about important historic events and
issues.
Madira McKee, Doug Fair, Catie Moore,
Ashley Smirl, Paula Turner, John Ullrich |
 Marvelous
Music Carpet:
Visualizing, Moving and
Creating – Country Place
Elementary - K-5
$1000.00
Marvelous Music Carpet:
Visualizing, Moving and Creating incorporates a multifaceted music
manipulative to enable all music students to read, write, create and
perform standard music notation. The Music Mat will channel students’
energy as a springboard for reading music notation, singing together
and understanding the keyboard. As students maneuver around the mat,
they will be fully involved and active in the learning process
resulting in a meaningful music experience for all learners.
Andrea Johnson |
|
 Literature
Circles: Reading to Write Right! – R. L. Turner – 10th grade
$1000
Kacie Brekhus Memorial Teacher Grant
This project includes
five sets of five literary backpacks for a total of 25
literature circle kits. Each backpack will consist of five
high interest novels, a short story, poetry, various
non-fiction pieces, a binder with literature circle job
assignments, construction paper, markers, and access to a
digital camera. Throughout the year an ongoing literature
circle (in a small group) will read independently and then
discuss and analyze literature and real world situations.
They will then create personalized projects based on themes
that they read about in their groups.
Amy Rasmussen |
|
 Do the
Shuffle….again! – Country Place Elementary – Kindergarten
$980
The purchase and replacement
of iPods and corresponding supplies for the iPod Shuffle
program. The iPods are valuable learning tools that the
teacher uses to download recorded poems, songs, games,
letters and color songs for the students to hear in the
classroom and at home.
Katie Stemmermann |
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 Reading and Writing
in the Math Classroom – ECHS – 10th and 11th
$1000
The primary goal is to
promote learning of mathematics to all learners by
respecting all learning styles and diversifying the teaching
of math concepts. This will purchase multiple copies of Freakonomics, Nonplussed, Chases and Escapes: The
Mathematics of Pursuit and Evasion, The Tiger That Isn’t,
How Mathemeticians Think: Using Ambiguity, Contradiction and
Paradox to Create Mathematics, The Mathematician’s Brain,
and Sphereland.
Ann Reavis |
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Got Skills? – Las
Colinas Elementary – K-5
$460
The Behavior
Resource Specialist will purchase the following software to
encourage development in social skills: Building Custom Kids
– Behavioral Mini Lesson, Choosing My Behavior- Curriculum
and Games to Teach Appropriate Behavior, Conversation Start
up Games, Emotions and Expressions, Emotional Bingo, Getting
the Message – Learning to Read Facial Expressions,
Self-Control Patrol Game and Workbook and Social Skills
Builder Software – My School Day.
Angela Restivo |
|
 iPod
Shuffle Reading Development for Bilingual First Grade –
Carrollton Elementary
$3000
Bea Clodfetter 1st Grade Teacher Grant
First grade bilingual students
who are identified as at-risk students will use iPod
shuffles as a resource for helping students hear correct
letter sounds, and increased vocabulary and fluency at home.
Hollie Hamilton, Christina Fox,
Carmelina Baez |
|
 Oh the Places You’ll
Go! – Sheffield Primary – Pre Kindergarten
$823.15
This is an early literacy
pre-summer workshop. This will entail a ten day training
with literacy materials and activities that pre-kindergarten
students will use during their summer break prior to
entering kindergarten. Students will have a collection of
ten books along with a familiar repetitive story. Each
student will receive a backpack filled with foam letters,
rhyming picture cards, and a draw and write journal along
with school supplies.
Valerie White |
|
 Technology in Art –
Ranchview High School – 9-12
$742.80
PhotoShop CS3e software
will be installed onto presently unused laptop computers.
This program will be used to advance art students in a very
different way than using it for the normal photo editing
process. By using this program, students will be able to
create original pieces similar to those created by
professional artists, graphic designers, marketing
specialists, interior designers; fashion designers; or
architectural designers.
Michael Warren |
|
 Let’s Talk – Country
Place Elementary – Pre-K – 5
$946.57
This grant will purchase
materials to help with teaching language to autistic
children. This includes seven big books with familiar
titles, flashcards, games, puzzles, DVDs Picture Cards and
more.
Tonya Schwartz |
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 Learn To Play –
Country Place Elementary – Pre-K-5
$2412.28
This grant will buy materials
for applied academics students to use in Physical Education
classes. It will include giant sports ball, extra long
scooter, sensory tunnel, tricycles, roller racer, fling
sock, hopscotch carpet, wooden balance beam, balance boards
and more.
Tonya Schwartz, Laura Rogers |
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 Ready, Set,
Reinforce! – Las Colinas Elementary – K-5
$2935
This grant
will enable special education teachers to buy a variety of
materials to use as reinforcement for positive social
behavior, compliance, staying on task, appropriate peer
interactions and task completion. This includes Legos,
action figures, DVD movies, a portable DVD player, Webkinz,
educational software.
Stephanie Flores, Diana Dunn, Kathleen Frye, Angela
Restivo |
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 Shuffles for Success
– Farmers Branch Elementary – First Grade
$901.75
Materials will be purchased to
download onto iPod Shuffles. Materials include: Scholastic
books and CD sets, a mobile listening and storage center,
headphones, and a CD library. Padded lunch boxes will be
provided for carrying home to extend the classroom to the
students’ homes for more practice.
Charlotte Buchanan |
|
 Making Sense of
Mathematics – Freeman Elementary – K-5
$2799.72
This grant
will purchase resources for teachers and parents. Resources
purchased will include 25 different math titles for use,
such as Teaching Number Sense series, Teaching Student
Centered Mathematics K-8, Writing in Math Class, About Teach
Mathematics, Math By All Means, Lessons for Addition and
Subtraction, Lessons for Extending Multiplication and
more. The parent resource books will describe how parents
can work with teachers to aide students in developing a deep
understanding of mathematics.
Lindsey Ferris, Mary Ramos-Duke,
Nikki O'Halloran, Julie Nelson |
Hands-on Labs and
Explorations in Science Class – DeWitt Perry Middle School –
6th
$984.38
Tad Dodson Memorial Teacher Grant
This grant will fund
lab materials such as tray with pour lip, small jar, pipet,
quart sized jar, digital scale, effervescent tablets, half
inch flat metal washers, flashlight and batteries, aquarium
gravel, digital timer and more. This equipment will be used
for students to participate in hands-on labs to help develop
a better and deeper understanding of scientific concepts.
Gina Tran |
|
 Putting Reading First
– Furneaux Elementary – First Grade
$2979.90
This grant
will purchase new leveled fiction and non-fiction readers
for each first grade classroom at Furneaux Elementary. The
current classroom libraries are outdated and falling apart.
These books also go home with the students each night for
them to read to their families.
Michelle Turner, Paige Varner, Terri
Sloan, Margaret Hunley |
|
 Let the Games Begin!
– Kent Elementary – Fifth Grade
$766.05
This teacher says, “I would
like to develop another aspect to my Language Arts
curriculum…Fun and Games while learning. My goal is to set
up an occasional game day using activities that will support
our district and state curriculum.” These games and
activities will be used for mini-lessons, tutoring, TAKS
practice, district goals, cooperative learning, leadership
and rewards.
Susan Ellis |
|
 Marcy
Cook Math Library – McCoy Elementary – K-5
$2860.84
Theresa Salerno Memorial Library Grant
This grant seeks to
develop a math library based on Marcy Cook math activity
cards and books. These activities and books will be
available to all grade levels and will cover all strands of
math. Students will build foundation skills through
self-checking activities by manipulating numerical tiles.
Teachers can use this as whole class exercises, center
activities or individual/partner exercises.
Lisa Runyon and Nancy White |
|
 French Language
Magazines – R.L. Turner – 9-12
$903.50
A 30 issue subscription to the
educational French language magazine Allons-y will be
available in the classroom. This foreign language magazine,
published by Scholastic, includes information about current
events, French culture, celebrities, music, comic strips,
jokes, games and much more…all in French.
Brandon Walters |
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 Online Virtual
Algebra Tiles – Technology Learning Center – 9th Grade
$303.89
This is software that
allows the students who are enrolled in an online class to
use the Algebra Tiles on the computer. Students will have
access to “virtual” Algebra Tiles via any internet
connection. The Virtual Algebra Tile application will be
used as a daily tool where appropriate in the District’s
Hybrid Model Algebra I course curriculum.
Rich Lewis |
|
 Music
From Around the World – Blalack Middle School – 6th Grade
$718.95
Blalack Middle School PTA Teacher Grant
This grant will be used
to purchase an iPod, portable speakers and an iTunes card to
download cultured music from around the world. Students will
benefit by having access to music from a variety of cultures
to comprehend and analyze their history.
Asiya Roland |
|
 Stimulate the
Mind…Excite the Senses – Riverchase Elementary – K-5
$999.92
This project will
provide special education students the opportunity to
stimulate their minds and excite their senses throughout the
day in a safe, familiar environment. This includes a
weighted pencil set, raised line paper, learn to dress cube,
design and drill activity center, body box, trapeze bar,
hand putty, weighted vest, sling seat and more.
Trina Rison |
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 Space Station Model –
DeWitt Perry Middle School – 6th grade
$764.48
The Space Station model
will be a two part conception with a Space Station museum
and a life sized model of a section of the International
Space Station (ISS). Students will be able to enter the
museum section and hear students teach others about survival
in space.
Karin Busby |
|
 Robotics Explosion –
Creekview High School – 9-12
$3000
Start up kit for
Botball. This program gives students hands-on experience in
designing, building, and programming a team of robots, while
developing leadership, teamwork and project management
skills that will prepare students for the future workforce.
Sherry Murray and Teresa Armstrong |
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 Robotics in the
Classroom – Introduction to Programming Newman Smith High
School
9-12
$3000
Lego Mindstorm Education Kits
will be purchased for use in the Technology Systems and in
the Computer Science classroom. The Computer Science classes
will use this curriculum and teacher developed curriculum
introducing the principles of JAVA programming language.
David McGuill, Robert Martino, John
Barnett |
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 iPod Shuffle Reading
Development for Monolingual/ESL 1st grade-Carrollton
Elementary
$3000
First grade bilingual
students who are identified as at-risk students will use
iPod shuffles as a resource for helping students hear
correct letter sounds, and increased vocabulary and fluency
at home.
Chandler Henninger, Kristen
Zielaskiewicz, Tammy Landry |
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 Promethean Activ/Slate
Student Group Presentations Using Interactive Classroom
Technology – DeWitt Perry Middle School – 6th – 8th grade
$1000
ActivSlate is a Promethean
Product that will interact with the Promethean ActivBoard in
the classroom. It is a wireless handheld surface for the
teacher and students to write and present ideas to the rest
of the class from any location in the classroom. It allows
for interaction and use with all ActivBoard capabilities
without physically standing at the front of the room.
Melissa Mendoza |
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